Already a yearly presence on darkwave.ro, Chris Harms‘s project Lord of the Lost comes back in 2012 with “Beside & Beyond“. The project’s new release does not only include new tracks, but also new renditions of both 2010 and 2011 tracks, as well as a terrifyingly good cover. “Beyond Beautiful“, the opening track, sounds really enticing, and is, just as the title says, beyond beautiful. You could say that it also gives the “beyond” of the album title, while the beside, if you’re looking for it, it must be hidden in the b-side quality of the compilation. While, at the same time, “beside and beyond” means literally an exploration of the seams of previously produced music, and in this respect, the album does what it says! The cover of Lady Gaga‘s “Bad Romance” is not entirely new, since it has been played before live and it went viral on YouTube in 2011, but it stands out, among the many covers of the song, not only because it is not produced with a Gaga followership gene, but with a creed of staying true to one’s musical path. Coming up next, “Dry the Rain” from “Fears” in both an acoustic version and an orchestra version featuring Mono Inc. It is recontextualized, but it preserves its outstanding quality and offers ruminating material for Lord of the Lost fans. The second new track of the album, “October 29” is again a very good addition, and it with it on, you cannot fear that the 2013 release is going to sound anything short of amazing. “Love Is Not Enough” from “Antagony” is rendered in a beautiful piano version, while “Sooner or Later“, again from “Fears” is rendered in a stage version. “Beside & Beyond” is a great compilation: for the newcomer to the dark and sexy realm of Lord of the Lost it brings a rich and tasty band consommé, while to the Lord of the Lost old timer it brings extra listening material, which is always a good thing. Enjoy!